Weeknote 15/2025: Adventures in the Algarve
Hello!
After navigating the whirlwind of March teaching commitments and assessment deadlines, April offered a welcome reprieve with two distinct halves - an invigorating first-time visit to Portugal's southern coast, followed by a sun-drenched week in Stonehaven. The contrast between these experiences, one abroad and one at home, provided exactly the balance of adventure and comfort I needed. Here's what I've been up to these past couple of weeks...
I managed to mix plenty of rest and recovery (with my notebook, Kobo and, ok, a glass of cava by my side) with a few excursions to nearby towns. We walked around the marina in Vilamoura one overcast morning, browsed the shops in brilliant sunshine, avoiding the touts trying to entice drunks and teenagers into purchasing CBD in Albufeira, caught The Minecraft Movie during a thunderstorm in Faro and got a special tour of the backstage areas of ZooMarine near Guia after my partner injured her ankle. She blames the dolphins, of course.
While it was only a week, it felt like we had been away for a lot longer. Our hotel, the 3HB Guarana in Olhos de Agua, was quiet, and for once, I thanked the local authority for their stubbornness regarding Easter holiday dates.
I also celebrated another spin around the sun by accompanying my partner and son to local waterpark Aquashow and spending a lot of time in a deckchair while they explored the various flumes, saunas and ice baths. It made us pine a little for Splash e Spa Tamaro, just over the Swiss-Italian border north of Como. That evening, the hotel staff made me blush with birthday congratulations and a chilled bottle of my favourite poolside tipple.
It was my first trip to Portugal and I loved it. We’ll be back to see how different Lisbon is from our experiences in the south of the country. I also hope that we can avoid a hospital visit next time.
The second week of the break was spent at home in Stonehaven, basking in similarly glorious sunshine, but missing the accompanying heat we enjoyed in Portugal. I had volunteered to lead an Esports camp for a few hours each day, so I made sure that each afternoon was spent with family members and not musing about work.
The students shared their weekly targets: improving teamwork, communication skills, or trying their hand at new games. By the end, everyone involved had made good progress, but the real benefit I observed was that friendships were stronger, and plans had been made to continue meeting up outside of the camp.
I was inspired to update the Esports Leaderboard to include a long-awaited podium for the top 3 players in each area. The images are placeholders for player avatars in a future update.
I was over the moon to discover that the latest season of Black Mirror has been released on Netflix and has been widely heralded as a return to form for the series. I’ve only managed one episode so far - Common People - but the enshittification of the service offered by Rivermind to Mike and his wife Amanda will resonate with the experiences of most of the viewers, as all great episodes of the series tend to do.
I don’t want to binge all the episodes too quickly, though, as a fortnight of operation recovery is looming in early May.
This weeknote is a bit of a departure from the deeper issues I’ve been mulling over recently, but I wanted to show gratitude for the memories created both abroad and at home over the last fortnight. The Portuguese sunshine, birthday celebrations, and unexpected adventures (dolphin incidents included, you can always find silver linings) have recharged my batteries in ways I didn't realise I needed. The Esports camp surprised me and reframed the opportunity as community building, while rationing the new Black Mirror episodes gives me something to look forward to during recuperation. Whether wandering Portuguese marinas or enjoying quiet Stonehaven afternoons, I'm learning that true restoration comes in many forms and am thankful for the creative burst this has provided. I hope you are also able to take the time to be present, relax and ideate. Just keep an eye out for the dolphins, they’re trouble.
Have a great week xx